1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user interactive method of operating a computer system for producing a weighted ordinal rank order preference scale of selected alternatives. More particularly, the invention hereof relates to a method wherein a computer system prompts the user to rank alternatives making up a variety of categories and to provide point values whereby the computer system then calculates a weighted point value consistent with the rank and point value of the alternatives.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the behavioral and social sciences, researchers and investigators endeavor to quantify subjective variables by developing measurements of such things as personality traits, attitudes, intelligence, preferences, interests, and so forth. Various techniques have been developed for quantifying and measuring these variables such as the socalled rank order and forced choice systems.
In the rank order system, various subjective variables in the form of categories are presented to subjects who are asked to rank possible alternatives according to preference, interest, or some other criteria. The rank order system is limited in its utility, however, because if too many possible alternatives are presented to the subject at a time, the subject may become confused. Because of this, the subject may rank the alternatives differently if asked to do so again. In order to achieve reliable results, the researcher or investigator must limit the number of possible alternatives in a set to be ranked to preferably no more than five at a time, which in turn limits the utility of prior art rank order systems.
In the forced choice system, a subject is presented with pairs of alternatives and must choose one of the pair according to specified criteria. The number of possible choices, however, increases geometrically with the number of possible alternatives. For example, if five alternatives are included in each of two categories, the forced choice system requires that each alternative of one category be paired with every other alternative in the other category. This results in 25 possible forced choices. Thus, the forced choice system becomes unwieldly if very many alternatives are involved.
The task of quantifying subjective variables becomes even more complex if it is desired to weight the alternatives in addition to rank ordering them. For example, in the forced choice system, rather than choosing between agree and disagree as possible alternatives, the subject may be asked to respond with strongly agree, mildly agree, mildly disagree, or strongly disagree. This further complicates the quantifying task and adds to the length of time required for the subject to complete the process. Even more complexity is added if the alternatives have an intrinsic order or the final hierarchical level of any one of the alternatives is dependent on any other alternative. The process employed must therefore assure that this dependency is reflected in the final rank order.
Despite the complexity of conventional systems in measuring subjective variables, such measurements are nonetheless important, for example, to corporations in achieving goals, to society in understanding attitudes, preferences, moral values, and so forth, and to individuals in determining career choices based on interests and abilities.
As a further example, a management consultant may help quantify the value of various job positions so that an organization can pay an appropriate salary to retain or attract employees. The first step in quantifying the value or worth of a job position to a particular organization is to develop the variable categories in terms of job factors pertaining to each job position. Applicable job factors might include such things as education, length of service, decision making, complexity of the job, independent judgement, interpersonal skills, accountability, and so forth.
After the job factors have been identified, possible alternatives or factor levels for each job factor are then defined. Intrinsic orders are then identified. For example, the job factor of education may include factor levels as levels of education such as Ph.D., Masters, and Bachelors degrees, vocational training, and high school. After defining the factor levels, the intrinsic orders are identified and the factor levels (alternatives) are arranged in descending order of importance such as the order of the education levels described above.
In the prior art, each factor level is typically assigned a point value as a weight somewhat arbitrarily by the consultant based on varying degrees of input from general business or industry studies. A factor level from each factor is then identified for each job position based on a prepared job description. The weighted point values of the level pertaining to each job position are then added to determine a total point value for each position as reflecting the value of each position to the organization.
The technique of developing point values for job positions as described above typically does not adequately reflect the perceived goals of the organization. That is to say, the process of arbitrarily assigning weighted point values to the job factor levels by the management consultant and others only coincidentally reflect the goals of the organization. For example, a high level of technical education may be vital to a company who plans to invent or develop new products. In contrast, a similar company may adopt the strategy to improve its business position by stressing its customer service. In this latter case, achievement of corporate goals may depend much less on whether the corporation's employees have a graduate degree in any technical subject than on the interpersonal skills of its employees.
An evaluation system which does not reflect the goals and requirements of the organization may produce an evaluation scheme which is inaccurate or even misleading. Such a scheme may lead a company which is focused on new products to undervalue the worth of its technically educated employees, and may lead a service organization to undervalue the worth of those job positions with a high degree of contact with the public.
Such deficiencies point out the need to reflect additional variables during the process of rank ordering and weighting alternatives. The inclusion of additional subjective variables, however, adds even more complexity to prior art measurement systems which are already too complex and variable in their reliability.